Additive Manufacturing (AM) (also known as Additive Layer Manufacture (ALM), 3D printing, etc.) is a process that may be used to produce functional, complex objects, layer by layer, without moulds or dies. Typically, such processes include providing material (e.g. metal or plastic) in the form of a powder or a wire, and, using a powerful heat source such as a laser beam, electron beam or an electric, or plasma welding arc, melting an amount of that material and depositing the melted material (e.g. on a base plate of a work piece). Subsequent layers are then built up upon each preceding layer.
Example AM processes include, but are not limited to, Laser Blown Powder, Laser Powder Bed, and Wire and Arc technologies.
In a separate field, micro-tomography processes (which may also be referred to as X-ray micro-tomography, industrial computed tomography (CT) Scanning, and micro-CT scanning processes) are used to create three dimension virtual (or digital) models of internal and external structures of objects. Such process typically comprise using X-rays to create images of cross-sections of an object, which are then used to create a virtual model without destroying the original object.
Example micro-tomography processes include, but are not limited to, fan beam reconstruction processes and cone beam reconstruction processes.